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Aves - Neognathae - Coliiformes - Colii - †Palaeospiza - †Palaeospiza bella

Skeleton (Skeleton) of a †Palaeospiza bella (Palaeospiza bella)


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Species Description
Palaeospiza bella is an extinct mousebird, known from the Upper Eocene Florissant Formation of Colorado. Initially described as the oldest known oscine passeriform (Allen 1878), it has recently been reinterpreted as a coliiform bird (mousebird). Palaeospiza bella represents the latest North American occurrence of a group whose living members occur only in modern Africa (Ksepka and Clarke, 2009).

References:
Allen, J. A. 1878. Description of a fossil passerine bird from the insect-bearing shales of Colorado. Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories 4:443-445.

Ksepka, D.T. and J.A. Clarke 2009. Affinities of Palaeospiza bella and the phylogeny and biogeography of mousebirds (coliiformes). The Auk 2:245-259.
Skeletal Elements Available

Skeleton (Skeleton)
External Links
Palaeospiza Wikipedia page

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